Silo.



W. R.-HARRISON 61: A. G. JAGOBY.

SILG.

APPLIOATION HLBDFBB. 1s, 1909.

Patented Deo. '7, 1909.

/fld l ff igt-zr n UNITED STATES PA nnen.

WILLIAMSON-R. HARRISON AND ALBERT C. JACOBY, OF MASSILLON, OHIO; SAID JACOBY ASSIGNOR TO SAID HARRISON.

SILO.l

Application filed February 18, 1909.

simple construction for the door frame of` the silo, and a continuous series of doors which will form a complete and tight closure of the vertical opening of the silo, and means for securing and tightly clamping the side edge portions of the doors against the inner sides of the door jambs and for making tight joints between the end edges of the door sections. These primary objects of the improvement, thus set forth in general terms, and other important secondary benefits, are attained by the construction, mechfV anism and arrangement shown for a preferred embodlment of the invention 1n the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whicht Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a silo showing the vertical opening and several door sections therein; Fig. 2,' a transverse section on line 2-2' of Fig. 1; Fig. 3,' a vertical section on line 3dS of Fig. 1; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are modified forms of the door joint.

Similar numerals refer-to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The wall of the silo is made of a series of ordinary staves l which may be slightly curved to conform to the circumference ofA the silo and are tongued and grooved on their edges to form tight joints. staves 2 constitute the door jambs ori/each -side of the vertical opening, except that Similar Patented Dec. Z, 1909.

Serial No. 478,702.

of the door jambe by means of the bolts 6. The brackets 7 are secured to the door jambs by the bolts 8, and these rbrackets are shaped to freely bridge over the ends of the brace plates, and are provided with the transverse grooves 9 which form sockets in which the hoopV rods 10 of the silo are 'adapted to rest; by means of which construction and arrangement, the hoop rods can be applied and removed, and are independently supported,

without affecting in any manner the freedom of the doors or the transverse braces.

The door sections 11 are preferably made of a number of vertical pieces tightly joined together and fastened to the cross braces 13 by means of the bolts 14; andthe vertical bars 15 extending between and secured on the cross braces by means of the bolts 16, and the middle cross bar 17 extending between and secured on the vertical bars by the bolts 1S, are preferably provided on the door. These cross bars form convenient handles for the door sections when the same are detached from the silo; and in conjunction with the hoop rods, form a ladder up the side of the silo.

The door sections are formed flat on their outer sides and are made wider than the vertical opening of the silo so `that the outer side faces 19 on the edge portions will overlap corresponding faces 2O on t-he normal inner sides of the door jambs, which latter 'faces are preferably provided with bands of felt 2l or other suitable resilient packing. The length of each door section is made the same as the vertical distance between the transverse braces of the vertical opening, and the joints between the ends of the doors are preferably located' at or just below the lower edges of the respective braces. This joint is made by beveling the whole of the contact faces of the upper edge of each section in the form of an inverted V. tongue 22,

as in Figs. 3 and 5 or an inverted U. tongue 22a as in Figs. 4 and 6; and a corresponding groove 23 is provided in the lower edge of with convexly curved sides 23a as in Fig. 5,

or as an inverted U as 231 in Fig. 6; by means of which beveled tongues and grooves a tight joint is always made between the ends of the sections. r l

In'use, the door sections are placed in position from below upward. as the silo is filled, and the lower edge of each door is placed approximately in proper position on the upper edge of the lower section with the upper end of the upper section inclined slightly inward, as shown for the section 11 in Figs. 1 and 3. The mere vweight of the upper section causes a tight joint to be formed` between the end edges and also wedges the lower edge of the upper section lo outward toward the door j ambs. The 'shape of the beveled tongues and grooves permits the upper section to be rotated thereon, so that when the upper end thereof is drawn outward, the side edge portions of 15 the upper section are clam ed against the A felt bands on the inner si es of the door jambs, whenthe felt bands are used, or directly against'the inner sides of the door jambs when the felt bands are not used. The doors can be placed in this osition and held by manual means until su cient silage is filled behind the doors to hold them', whereupon a complete and tight Iclosure of the opening is e'ected; but positive means for clam ing the door in its closed position are pre erably provided, as `follows: The lock levers 24 are pivoted on the respective door sections, preferably on the upper brace thereof, and these levers are provided with the arms 25 which are adapted to engage the outer side of the brace plates when the doors have been placed approximately in proper position, and the contact faces 26 of these arms are preferably inclined or rounded, so

that by av rotation of the levers the beveled' faces of the arms acting against the brace plates will serve to draw the upper ends of the doors outward and to positively clamp the side edges thereof against the feltpacking bands, or directly against the inner sides of the door jambs, as lbefore described. The llock levers are also provided with the cam shoulders 27 which are adapted to operate against the lower edges of the brace plates, whereby the respective door sections are positively forced downward at the same time their upper ends are drawn outward, which serves to tightly close the lower end joint by the wedge action'of thecontactfaces of the tongue .and groove which are beveled downward and outward. The same wedge action also serves to' force the lower end of the door outward to bring its side edge portions against the felt packing, so that by a single operation of the lock lever the side edges of the door are clamped tightly against the inner sides of the door jambs throughout the Whole length of the section, and the lower end joint of the door is tightly closed. In order to obtain a tight clamping of the side edges of the doors against the jambs, it is desirable that the middle portions of the doors should not come in contact with the transverse braces or any other part of the door frame. When'the felt packing bands are used on the door jambs, `they will, of vourse, cause the doors to stand inward a short-distance from the transverse braces; but to insure. an absolute freedomv from contact, the braces are preferably made of less thickness than the door jambs so that the inner sides of the braces will be' located slightly outside the line of the inner faces of the jambs, as shown in the drawing. By locating the upper end edge of each door f below the lower edge of the adjacent transverse brace, the interval 28 permits any silage which may\fall upon the upperv edge of the door to freely escape, and the inverted U or V-shaped edge or tongueserves to shed the silage and to prevent the lodgment of any materials thereon, thereby alwaysv in.- suring a clean joint and therefore a tight joint. p j y It is evident that by convexing'the contact faces of the tongued edge with reference to the corresponding faces ofv the grooved-l edge, or by conveXing the contact faces of the grooved edge with respect to the correspondinl faces ofthe tongued edge, the joint will be more readily and tightly closed and sealed, and there will be less tendency to split the groovedend by the pressure of contact along its extreme edges. Further 95 more, it is manifestly notessential to operate the lock levers against the transverse braces, but such use of the braces is preferred because they are the most available. portion of the door frame for the particulary purpose.

lVhat we claim as our invention, and des lsire to secure by Letters Patent, is-4- 1. A silo having a vertical opening with door jambs on each side, a series of tra-nsverse braces extending between the jambs and a series of doors having side edge por; tions adapted to bear against the inner sides of the j ainbs, the adjoining end edges of the doors being shaped substantially as V tongues and grooves, and a lever provided with an arln and a. cam on each door adapted to operate on t-he adjacent brace to force the door outward and downward.

2. A silo having a vertical opening with door jambs on each side, a series of transverse braces extending between the jambs and a series of doors having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sidesv `of the jambs, the adjoining end edgesot' the 120 doors being shaped substantially as V tongues and grooves, and a lever on each door adapted to operate on the adjacent brace to draw the door outward.v

3. A silo having a vertical opening with a frame including door jambs and transverse braces and a series of doors having s'ide edge portionsr adapted to bear against the inner sides of the jambs, the adjoining end Vedges of the doors being shaped substantially as V tongues and grooves,`and a lever provided with an arin and a cani on each door adapted to ope ate on the frame to force the door outward and dowiiwaid.

4. 'A silo having a vertical opening with a frame including door janibs and transverse braces, anda series of doors having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sides of the janibs, the adjoining end edges' of the doors being shaped substantially as V tongues and grooves, and a lever on each door adapted to operate on the franie to draw the door outward.

5. A silo having a vertical opening with Idoor jainbs on each side, a series of transverse braces 'extending between the jainbs and a series of doors liavingside edgeportions adapted to bear against the iiineresides of the j anibs, there being tongues and grooves on the adjoining end edges of 4the doors, and a' lever provided with an arin and a cani on each door adapted to operate on the adjacent brace to force the door outward and downward.

6. A silo having a vertical opening with door janibs on each side, a'series of tra'nsverse braces extending between the janibs and a series of door having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sides of the jainbs,. there being tongues and grooves on the adjoining end edges of the doors, and a lever on the upper end of each door adapted to operate on the adjacent brace to draw the door outward.

7. A silo having a vertical opening with a frame including door janibs and transverse braces, and a series of dobrs having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sides ofthe jaiiibs, there being tongues and grooves on the adjoining end edges of the doors, and a lever provided with an arin and a cani on each door adapted to operate on the fraine to force the door outward and downward.

8. A siloliaving a vertical opening with a frame including door jainbs and transverse braces, and a series of doors having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sides of the jambs, there being tongues and grooves on the adjoining end edges of the doors, and means on each door adapted to operate on the frame to force the door outward and downward.

9. A silo having a vertical opening with door jainbs on each side, a series of doors having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sides of the jarnbs, there being joints between the end edges of the doors-including Contact faces beveled 'down ward and outward, and a lever provided with an arni and a cain on each door adapted to operate on the adjacent brace to force the door outward and downward.

10. A sjilo having a vertical opening with door janibs on each side,l a series of transverse braces extending between the janibs and a series'of doors having side edge portions adapted to bear against the inner sides of the jainbs, there being joints between the end edges of the doors including contact faces beveled downward and outward, and

a lever on the upper end of each door adapted to operate on the adjacent brace to diaw the door outward.

11. A silo having a vertical opening with a franie including door janibs and transverse braces, and a series of doors having sidel edge portionsadapted to bear against the inner sides of the jainbs, there being joints between the end edges of the doors including contact faces beveled downward and outward, and a lever provided with an arni and a cam on each door adapted to operate on the franie to force the door out .waid and downward.

and outward, and means on each door adapted to operate onthe franie to force the door outward and downward.

13. A silo having a vertical opening with doorv j'aiiibs'on eacliside and a series of doors inade wider than the opening and adapted to bear against the inner sides of the janibs, the whole of the contact faces4 of the end edges ofthe doors being shaped substantially as V tongues and grooves.

14. A silo having a vertical opening with door jaiiibs on each 'side-having tlat inner faces in the saine plane, and a series of doors made wider than the opening -and adapted to bear against the inner vsides of the janibs, with joints between the eiid'edges of the doors including contact facesbeveled downward and outward.

15. A silo having a vertical openino with door ja'inbs on each side and a seriesof doors Inade wider than the opening and adapted to bear against the inner sides of the janibs, with joints between the end edges of the doors including contact. faces beveled downward and outward.

16. A series of doors for the vertical opening of a silo having joints between the end edges of contiguous doors including a beveled tongue on the one and a beveled groove in the other, the contact faces of the one being convexed with reference to the corresponding' faces of the other.

17. A series of doors for the inner sides of the vertical opening of a silo with joints between the end ed es of the doors including contact faces beve ed downward and outward. l

18. A silo having a vertical opening with doorjambs on eachl side, 4transverse braces and having cross bars thereondntermedite 10 in the opening having extenslon plates atthe hoops, whereby a ladder 1s formed 'by tached on the outer sides of the jambs, the hoops and the bars.

brackets on the jambs bridgingl the brace -WH LIAMSON R HARRISON' plates and hoops around the silo restncf in J the brackets. C ALBERT C. JACOBY.

v19. A silo having a, vertical opening, a Vtnes'ses: serles of hoops extendlng across the opemng, 4 HARRY FREASE7 and a serles of doors @105mg the openmg JOSEPH FREASE. 

